At 8:23 AM -0800 2000/03/23, Richard Hartman wrote:
>If Palm's contract with Kadak says that kernel functions can not
>be part of the SDK then those functions should not be in the header
>files that Palm is distributing under the collective name of "PalmOS
>SDK" or you are in violation of your contract with Kadak.
>
>I think you guys better talk w/ your laywers.
I do so hate getting involved in these sorts of pointless discussions, especially when
fueled by analogies and heresy, but I'm going to have to clarify this before someone
gets hurt. ;o)
Palm's contract with Kadak states (in short) that Kadak APIs are for Operating System
Use Only, and that Palm cannot provide information on Kadak APIs to external
developers unless said developers first obtain a license to use those APIs from Kadak
and subsequently provide Palm with copy of evidence.
This does NOT preclude the existence of system-use-only trap constants and/or function
prototypes provided in public headers files, nor does it preclude the exposure of
Kadak functionality within the operating system boundaries (the "storefront window"
effect).
This DOES preclude documentation of this information for use by external developers,
as well as the creation of operating system resources or functionality which would
allow the use of these Kadak APIs by external developers without contract.
Bob's analogy to DVD licenses may not have been 100% right-on, but it's a fair analogy
nonetheless. When you purchase and/or develop software for a Palm OS device, you are
allowed to use Palm's DOCUMENTED APIs. If you find ways to bypass our documented APIs,
no matter how you obtained the information to do so, you are in violation of our
terms-of-use agreement. This also includes such activities as writing to the hardware
directly, calling undocumented APIs, using the device for purposes other than what it
was intended, disassembling the hardware for use in another product or as a means to
copy the design... to name just a few examples.
In any case, the info above covers the legal aspects of using Kadak APIs. Interesting,
perhaps, but hardly pertinent to the real issue: There are no "extra" Palm OS
operating system kernel resources available for use by external developers, in any
ROM. Period. So it doesn't matter what the lawyers say... you can't board a full ship
without sinking it.
Best Regards,
Jim Schram
Palm Incorporated
Partner Engineering
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